The ramblings from a small quilt shop on the South Islands West Coast of New Zealand

Sunday, September 15, 2013

An active observer

As I sit deciding what to share with everyone today I’m also ‘half pie’ watching one of the races in the “America’s Cup”. I’ve never been a sailing ‘nut’ but this fast pace sailing really is something I’m enjoying – while stitching, ironing, cleaning or anything that doesn’t make too much noise so that I can still hear the commentators to the race.

I guess that is how I am in many things – an active observer. When our girls were younger everyday after school saw us with horses and although I did my fair share of ‘horsey stuff’, I used to sit marking books from my days teaching or planning future lessons while the girls went through their daily routines with their horses. Always there, ready to help, just in case and sometimes able to do some me stuff.

I think that is how I tend to be in many things in my life. I totally love teaching – especially patchwork, but I also love the ‘doing’ of the craft, the creating and finishing, the choosing and decision making (which my ladies say they know I’m doing as I tend to whistle at decision time) all of which I manage to get on with while having other things going on in the background. This can’t just be a me thing, I really think it is something that as mothers we learn to do and multi tasking just doesn’t cover it. It’s more than that – it’s actively observing everything that is going on and being there just in case…

Days in the shop when my wonderful customers and friends come to Sit’n Stitch have all of us being active observers. As quilters/patchworkers, we are a sharing bunch by nature and when we sit and stitch help is always close at hand.

With my passion for teaching and after seeing a number of customers come into the shop wanting help as they had been left ‘wanting’ as a result of teachers not teaching fully, or responding to questions with “go on to U-Tube”. This really disappoints me and after further chatting I usually find out that these people have paid for these inadequate classes. Geesh – I needed to do something. So starting this week we are running a FREE beginners patchwork course. The finished quilt isn’t huge – just 40 something inches but the variety of skills they will be taught – right from learning about colour, values, texture etc, etc, etc right through to squaring up, basting, quilting and binding, each block teaching a new skill. Enough for the students to happily go on independently making more projects.

Places are filling up and surprisingly a number of my regular group wish to join in also – yeah – they are so much fun to be around.

It hasn’t been all teaching, observing and ‘multi tasking’ though. We have a new addition to the BHQ family.

This little chap is Jack and he has come to live with us. Chuck our Goldie, died a few years ago and his loss left us mourning I suppose, for a long, long while. We couldn’t just get another dog we needed to take time after all Chuck was a family member whether he had fur or not. Jack is 8 weeks old and is a Bichon/Lab cross. Just look at those feet! I’m not sure how he is going to end up but with feet that size he has a fair old grip on this earth of ours. Miss Polly, needless to say, is not impressed with such an ‘upstart’ moving in – oh well, she is getting on I suppose.

As for any stitching from me – well… for once I actually have something finished in time for Halloween – a gorgeous wee stitchery from Bird Brain.

Other things have been finished and once I get photo’s taken I will share them with you. Mostly I have been designing and have been fortunate enough, yet again to have a few patterns take up with magazines – how lucky am I?

Well, race one is over for today and team USA have just won that one – now onto race two for today and time to get the washing out on the line during the break.

There are going to be some very happy people having you teaching them your sampler quilt. They will come out thoroughly clear and understanding what should be done. You are a perfectionist as well as an active observer, and generous with all you do. Have fun with your classes and extra fun with your designing, well done hun!